The news: The Federal Reserve will conduct a 2023 climate-related scenario analysis pilot in which six major banks will participate, per Banking Dive.
Exploratory analysis: The study will begin in early 2023 and conclude around the end of next year. Participants include Bank of America, JPMorgan Chase, Citi, Morgan Stanley, Goldman Sachs, and Wells Fargo.
The study seeks to provide insight into how firms can measure and manage climate-related financial risk. The pilot is exploratory and separate from the annual stress tests that the Fed conducts, and it won’t impact capital requirements.
An emerging trend? The pilot resembles the climate-related scenario analysis that the European Central Bank (ECB) conducted, along with its biennial bank stress testing earlier this year.
With the US conducting similar tests—further details will be released in the coming months—we could see these scenarios becoming a larger part of bank stress testing globally.
A confusing time for climate initiatives: Banks globally have made huge promises to reduce carbon emissions to zero and to cut investment in fossil fuels and other climate-harming industries. But they’re realizing that reaching these goals is going to be difficult, and it’s also straining their relationships with some investors.
Our take: Banks are understandably concerned about their bottom line and they’re in a tough position when it comes to balancing climate-related risk and growing their profits. But they need to keep the bigger picture in mind.
Banks that include climate-related risk assessments in their planning will have greater long-term success with consumers and regulators.
This article originally appeared in Insider Intelligence’s Banking Innovation Briefing—a daily recap of top stories reshaping the banking industry. Subscribe to have more hard-hitting takeaways delivered to your inbox daily.